Process of distilling oils and oleaginous substances



(No, Model.)

, L. STEVENS.

PROCESS OF DISTILLING OILS AND OLEAGINOUS SUBSTANCES. No. 414,601. 'P atentedNov. 5 18.89.

Iiiiil -Zuuezdor:

(5%QM V 2% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI STEVENS, OF BOSTON, MASSACIIUSE'JTS.

PROCESS OF DISTI LLING OILS AND OLE'AGINOUS SUBSTANCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 414,601, dated November 5, 1889. Application filed October 31, 1887- Serial No. 253,837. (No model.)

To rel] whom, it may concern:

Belt known thatLLEVI STEVENS, of Boston,

in the county of Suffolk and State of Massa-u chusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Distilling and Purifying Oils and Oleaginous Substances; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists, first, in forcing under pressure 'a compound of steam and petroleum or other oil through a body of molten asphalt or lead or other equivalent material capable of liquefaction without volatiliza'tion at a temperature sufiicient to decompose or breale up and volatilize all the products to be derived from the oil, and, secondly, after passing the purified vapor through a series or condensers each cooler than that preceding it, whereby the several products of distillation contained in the vapor are severally and automatically separated by simple gravlty, each by means of the change of temperature to which it is subjected in its appropriate condenser, collecting the products of condensation from each condenser into a separate receiving still or tank heated to a temperature at which the lighter products which may pass into the still will be expelled and returned to the condensing apparatus, so as to insure the purity and exact commercial standard of the product in said receiving-still.

My invention is especially adapted for the distillation of heavy sulphurous oil. By mixlng the oil (a hydrocarbon) with the steam (hydro-oxygen) under pressure, so that the oil shall be heated to its boiling-point in thecompound, and then forcing the compound at this temperature through'a body of molten asphalt heated to a temperature of from 600 to 1,000 Fahrenheit, the oil will be so broken up in the presence of the steam that the sulphur, which may be present in the oil, will be enabled to seize the oxygen of the steam, (as S0 or $0 and by liberating the hydrogen, which, in its nascent condition, will readily combine with the carbon of the oil, thereby increase the volume of hydrocarbon in the compound, and consequently the percentage ofthe retort to serve as .a

of light oil to be derived therefrom. In brief, the sulphur in the oil is utilized in decomposing the steam and in inereasingihepercentage of the lighter and more valuable products obtained from the distillation of the oil, the carbonization of the asphalt being meantime prevented bythe constapt admission of steam thereto. An important advantage is moreover gained in the use of my process from the fact that all the constituent elements of the oil are vaporized together at a temperature much lower than that which is required in methods of fractional distillation commonly pursued to vaporize the heavier products alone after separation from the lighter, while by my method of fractional condensation the commercial products, after being volatilized all together and separated in accordance with their specific gravities, are redistilled in the one continuous process, whereby their purity according to their grade is insured.

If molten lead be substituted as an equivalent for the asphalt in breaking up the oil and steam forced through it in manner as described, the decomposition of the steam will bepromoted by its oxidation of the lead, and a measure of hydrogen be thereby liberated to combine with the carbon of the oil, so as to produce the desired increasein the volume of hydrocarbon in the compound.

In theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate in vertical section the apparatus employed in carrying out my process, Figure 1 represents the distilling-retort, Fig. 2 the pu rifying-chamber, Fig. 3' the air-condensers, and Fig. 4 the water-condensers.

A-represents a furnace, which may be of any approved form of construction, and B a retort fitted therein to be heated thereby.

is a large blowout or discharge pipe fitted to extend outwardly from near the bottom of the retort, and through which its liquid contents may be blown out as occasion. may require, said pipe being closed by a cock 0'. D is a similar discharge-pipe fitted in the top of the retort to connect it with the condenser, as hereinafter described.

v A perforated plate E is fitted to the bottom horizontal partition therein.

The upper end of the retort is encircled by ICQ a coil E'of pipe fitted within the furnace, and

. whose lower end is carried under the perfo- I approved rated plate E to open within thespace be-' neath said plate.

The discharge-flue \V for the furnace is led out laterally ata point just below coil E.

An oil-supply pipe F is connected by means of an injector G to the outward extension E of the coil E, and a steam-supply pipe H, leading from a suitable steam -generator, (of any description and which need not herein be described or illustrated, is connected to the injector G in such manner as to produce, when steam is admitted thereto, an admixtureof the steam with the oil supplied from the pipe F. The pipe F is connected with an oil-reservoir (not shown in the drawings) either directly to be supplied therefrom by gravity or mediately by means of an oilpump, 'so as togive a proper head to the oil to insure its free delivery to the injector. By

meansof the apparatus thus constructed a current of mingled steam and oil at a high temperature, determined by that of the steam suppliedthrou'gh-the pipe'H, is forced through the coil E into the pipe 0, and,being discharged under the perforated plate E in the retort B, passes up through the perforations -ing at a temperature of-not les s'than 600? Fahrenheit, and the-compound of ;steam and oil. entering the bottom of the retort being forced to pass through this molten material is thereby broken 'up or decomposed and whpll'y vaporized, and in this condition passes out from the retort through'the pipe D.

In the distillation ofpetroleum a supply of asphalt is obtained in the firstretort B by condensation from the oil, the excess being Y drawn off from time to time through the pipe -.C. Thevapor-discharg'e pipe I) is connected- -Wil-ll the lower end of a purifying-vessel J,

which is mounted in" an encircling chamber K, connected with the flue W of the furnace through 5- siiflicient to prevent a, condensation of :the-

4, so that the heat and products of rcombustio'n escaping from the furnace A shall pass said'chamber K, before being delivere'd i'ntothe chimney L. 5 The heat of the furnace is thus utilized toinaintain ahigh temperature within the j purifyingwes'sel J jvaporsadmitted thereto. A cylindrical vesand open at both ends, is inserted therein,

asphalt or its equivalent.

leaving an annularspace N between the two,-

arid the joint between thetwo vessels at the bottom thereof is sealed, asat O, with molten Shelres P P,'of

I perforated metal or of wire-netting, are fitted withia-the inner vessel M to support iron arrows,- are discharged at the top.

stituents, the vapor is sel M, smaller in diameter than the vessel J,

' separate I products, which-may have been carried thereinto from thecondenser above sponge, ordinary quicklime, chloride of lime,

or such other well-known chemical reagents as the character of the oil 'may require for its purification and deodorizationl The hot vapor entering the bottom of the purifyingchamber is carried upward through it and the heat of the purifying-chamber prevents any condensation of the vapor therein The vapor passing out of the top of the vessel .M is carried through the encircling passage N to a discharge-pipe R, by which it isconveyed to the firstof a series of condensers: constructed in the customary manner of a coil 8'0" of pipe T, inclosed within a suitable chamber S. The first oneor more of these condensers S S are cooled by means of currents of air which are admitted through apertures a a a I in the bottom thereof, andbeing made to pass 8 5 upward over the coils T, as indicated'by the (See Fig. 3.) By this means the heavier products of thewaporare condensed in thecoil, and being condensed are dischargedthrough a branch pipe X into a suitable tank U, fitted beneath thecondens'er'. The condensed vapor is carried from the lower end of tl1e coil' in each condenser to the upper end of the coil in 1 the next through a suitable stantially as described and. cooled by currents of air having the efiect of precipitating from the heated vapor its heavier cona series of condensers S S? The coils in.

these condensers S2 S are cooled by being immersed in tanks of water supplied through suitable pipes Y by a runningstre'am,-which,

connecting-pipe R. From the condenser S, constructed sub- 7 thus passed through entering the bottom of the farthest conr05 denser S in the ser1es,is discharged in order from the top thereof into the bottom of the condenser next preceding it, so that the last condenser S is the coolest, and the vapor,

first entering said'condenser S is" gradually 11o cooled more and more in each 'con'densende-r positing in each the product of its progressive condensation, untilinthe last condenser S of the "series the vapor iscompletely liquefied. The products of distillation will be de- '115 posited at each condenser in the order of their specific gravities, andby regulating the temperatureiofthe successive condensers each to thecondensing point' of-one of the'dif- 'ferent commercialprodiicts derivedfroin the r 2o oil each particular product'may be'separated;

and collected;

-Toinsure I gravity 'or' firetest grade of'ithg' sgvmfglflmtqy ducts asuieydeposited-sitceessively into' v r2 5 the tanks U U, beneath theseveral condensers in th e. series} heat each ofsaid receiving-tanks i U, preferably by means of a steam-coiPH,

placed in the bottom thereof, to a temperature ed-therein will be volatilized, and I therebyand distill therefrom the lighter- The vapor approachingthat at which the'produet collect- I 30 thus expelled from each tank will .pass up and out through the pipes X and R into the worm of the next condenser to find its appropriateplace in the series.

My improved process of constructive (as contradistinguished from destructive) distillation is applicable to the refining of cottonseed and other vegetable oils, as Well as h drocarbons, and I contemplate its use in the treatment of oils and fats of all descriptions.

\Vhile my improved process is highly useful in the distillation and fractional condensation of hydrocarbon oil in manner as described,-it is also serviceable in the manufacture therefrom of gas for heating or illuminating purposes, the gas being taken as it is discharged from the first distilling-retort and .before it is .carried to the purifier, and carried either directly to a suitable gasfurnace for consumption or to a fixing-retort for conversion into illuminating-gas by any of the Well-known processes.

I claim as my invention- 1. The process of distilling oils, which consists in admixing the'samefivithsteam, passing the compound through amolten mass of duct shall be redistilled to expel therefrom the lighter products, which may have been carried with it from the condenser, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification in the presence of two' subscribing witnesses.

' LEVI STEVENS.- Witnesses:

' A. N. JESBERA, E, M.VWATSON. 

